Everyone was right: Study abroad is probably the quickest semester of your life. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen at home, listening to Christmas music, looking at all the snow outside and wondering how I got here. This semester felt like a blip, a rabbit hole in the linear framework of time, that was a cross between my best dream and maybe my worst.

Counting my lucky stars that I get to go back and do it all over again, but this time I'll know what to do and not do, where to go...etc. For the purposes of my readers and less on reflection, I'll try to make this list as applicable as possible despite the specificities of my program. Unfiltered.

But again, I should note that this list is tailored to my personality and my expectations from study abroad. Therefore, I am not trying to say that this is what you should be doing or not doing. Your experience is entirely dependent on what you do and what you make of it.

What I Did Right

Spending weekends in Paris

Taking classes with French students

Host Family

Keeping an open-mind

Talking to anyone and everyone

Experience > Sleep

Ditching Instagram

Food > Exercise

Shopping

Brief explanation on the non-self-explanatory ones:

You often hear about study abroad-goers who travel every single weekend. This is what I had in mind for my experience, but I quickly learned that this is largely unfeasible, and that I wouldn't actually even want to do this. Paris was so big that it became important to me to get to know my own city. Every district has something new to discover, so every day feels like exploration. Plus, when am I going to be able to say I lived in Paris again?

Host families: A roll of the dice. While definitely difficult at times, I would argue that, as a concept, they are largely successful in accomplishing their goal: An in-depth look at a culture. Even though I think this should be optional and not obligatory, I feel like I definitely left with a greater understanding of French cuisine and etiquette rules. Those were my biggest takeaways. It was also nice to get the insider scoop.

Instagram – I have grown accustomed to posting an Instagram or an Insta-story of all the pretty things I see and eat. And to some extent, I think Instagram is great for documenting your best experiences. BUT, when my rough four weeks came about and I deactivated my account, I felt kind of refreshed. I eventually lost the desire refresh the feed and post every single thing I saw. However, I still took pictures of everything I saw and ate (and so should you).

What I Did Wrong

Not getting a French bank account

Not visiting enough museums

Stressing too much over schoolwork

Not reaching out to my classmates enough

Not taking enough local art/cooking-related classes

Investing too much time on boys

Packing for fashion and not for smart-comfort

Not taking enough day-trips

Brief explanation on the non-self-explanatory ones:

My school was super rigorous. While it was definitely necessary that I put in a ton of effort academically, there were times that I would get so invested and so overdramatic that I would implode and I felt like it was affecting my mood and relationships. In some classes, I didn't feel like I could talk to my classmates because I was too embarrassed for being confused all the time. Regrets. It is my understanding that most schools have relatively generous grade-transfer systems, so take comfort in that. For the most part, your teachers know that you're an exchange student and will cut you some slack. But don't abuse this either.

Additionally, in Paris, while everyone is fashionable to a certain extent, the locals dress "smartly". Say I brought like 10 pairs of shoes. I only wore maybe three pairs because my feet could only tolerate those three. Next semester, (and what I'm saying to you is) I will be bringing only the shoes that I can walk and stand in for long periods of time without drawing blood.

Lastly, boys (dating). Ah, the question I get asked all the time, the topic I've tried to avoid on here. So what's the story, Wishbone? Here's the deal... Firstly, early on, I was unfamiliar with the local dating culture, so got myself into a few pickles. My advice to you is to somehow get a feel for this, either by doing research or asking someone, because chances are it is VERY different than what we've got going in the States and it's best that you know how to navigate it. Secondly, I'm not saying to not get involved with someone when abroad. In fact, I've heard several positive stories about this happening. But you also want to explore and focus on ~self-discovery~ and sometimes getting involved is too distracting from these goals, just given the short amount of time you have there. It can also be too emotionally taxing and no one wants that. It's all about finding a balance, I suppose. I definitely suggest going out and meeting as many people as possible, though. It's an incredible way to learn about the local culture and it never hurts to make a friend!